Convert SXW to BBCode

Why Convert SXW to BBCode?

Converting SXW to BBCode allows you to transform content from legacy StarOffice/OpenOffice.org Writer documents into forum-ready markup. This is useful when you need to share document content on web forums, bulletin boards, or community platforms that use BBCode for text formatting.

Many organizations and communities still maintain active forums where BBCode is the primary formatting language. If you have legacy SXW documents containing information that needs to be shared in forum posts, converting to BBCode eliminates the need to manually reformat the content with square bracket tags.

BBCode is a safe markup format that prevents cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, making it the preferred formatting method for user-generated content on forums. By converting SXW to BBCode, you get formatted text that can be pasted directly into forum post editors while maintaining headings, bold text, lists, and other structural elements.

The converter extracts text content from the SXW ZIP archive, identifies formatting elements like bold, italic, headings, and lists, and maps them to their BBCode equivalents. The result is clean BBCode markup ready for immediate use on any forum that supports the standard BBCode tag set.

Key Benefits of Converting SXW to BBCode:

• Forum Ready: Paste converted content directly into forum post editors
• Formatting Preserved: Headings, bold, italic, and lists are mapped to BBCode tags
• Safe Markup: BBCode prevents XSS attacks unlike raw HTML
• Wide Compatibility: Works on phpBB, vBulletin, XenForo, and other forum software
• Easy Sharing: Share legacy document content on community forums quickly
• Plain Text: BBCode output can be copied and pasted anywhere

Practical Examples

Example 1: FAQ Document

Input SXW file (faq.sxw):

A StarOffice Writer document containing a frequently asked questions section with bold question headings and detailed answers.

Output BBCode (faq.bbcode):

[size=24][b]Frequently Asked Questions[/b][/size]

[b]Q: How do I reset my password?[/b]
Go to the login page and click "Forgot Password."
Enter your email address and follow the instructions.

[b]Q: What payment methods are accepted?[/b]
We accept Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and bank transfer.

[b]Q: How long does shipping take?[/b]
Standard shipping takes 5-7 business days.
Express shipping is available for 2-3 day delivery.

Example 2: Product Announcement

Input SXW file (announcement.sxw):

An OpenOffice.org Writer document with a product announcement containing features list, pricing, and contact information.

Output BBCode (announcement.bbcode):

[size=20][b]New Product Launch: SuperWidget 3.0[/b][/size]

We are excited to announce the release of SuperWidget 3.0!

[b]Key Features:[/b]
[list]
[*] Faster processing speed (2x improvement)
[*] New user interface with dark mode
[*] Cloud synchronization support
[*] Multi-language support (12 languages)
[/list]

[b]Pricing:[/b]
[list]
[*] Basic: $9.99/month
[*] Professional: $19.99/month
[*] Enterprise: Contact sales
[/list]

[url=https://example.com/superwidget]Learn more on our website[/url]

Example 3: Meeting Summary

Input SXW file (meeting.sxw):

A legacy StarOffice meeting summary document with attendees, discussion points, and action items.

Output BBCode (meeting.bbcode):

[size=20][b]Team Meeting Summary - March 2003[/b][/size]

[b]Attendees:[/b] Alice, Bob, Charlie, Diana

[b]Discussion Points:[/b]
[list=1]
[*] Project timeline review
[*] Budget allocation for Q2
[*] New team member onboarding
[/list]

[b]Action Items:[/b]
[list]
[*] [b]Alice:[/b] Update project plan by Friday
[*] [b]Bob:[/b] Prepare Q2 budget proposal
[*] [b]Charlie:[/b] Schedule interviews for new hire
[/list]

[i]Next meeting: March 15, 2003 at 10:00 AM[/i]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is BBCode?

A: BBCode (Bulletin Board Code) is a lightweight markup language used on web forums and bulletin boards. It uses square bracket tags like [b]bold[/b], [i]italic[/i], and [url]links[/url] to format text. BBCode provides a safe alternative to HTML for user-generated content, preventing XSS attacks while allowing basic formatting.

Q: Which forums support BBCode?

A: BBCode is supported by most popular forum software including phpBB, vBulletin, Simple Machines Forum (SMF), Invision Community, XenForo, Discourse, and many others. The core tag set (bold, italic, url, img, list, quote, code) is nearly universal across these platforms.

Q: What SXW formatting is preserved in BBCode?

A: The converter preserves bold, italic, underline, headings (converted to sized bold text), ordered and unordered lists, hyperlinks, and quoted text. Complex formatting like tables, page layouts, headers/footers, and embedded images are simplified or omitted since BBCode has limited formatting capabilities.

Q: Can I copy the BBCode output directly into a forum post?

A: Yes, the BBCode output is plain text with standard BBCode tags that can be copied and pasted directly into any forum's post editor. Make sure the forum's editor is in BBCode mode (not WYSIWYG mode) when pasting to ensure the tags are interpreted correctly.

Q: How does the converter handle images in SXW documents?

A: Embedded images in SXW documents cannot be directly converted to BBCode since BBCode [img] tags require URLs to externally hosted images. The converter will note where images were in the document. You would need to upload images separately and add [img] tags manually.

Q: Are tables from SXW preserved in BBCode?

A: Standard BBCode does not have a table tag (though some forums support [table] as an extension). The converter represents table content as formatted text with clear column separation. If your forum supports extended BBCode with table tags, minor manual adjustments may be needed.

Q: Do all BBCode tags work the same on every forum?

A: Core BBCode tags like [b], [i], [u], [url], [img], [list], [quote], and [code] are standardized and work consistently across forums. However, extended tags like [size], [color], [table], and [spoiler] may vary between forum software. Our converter uses the most commonly supported tag set.

Q: What is the difference between SXW and ODT?

A: Both SXW and ODT are ZIP archives containing XML files for word processing, but they use different XML schemas. SXW was used by StarOffice 6.0 and OpenOffice.org 1.x, while ODT uses the standardized OpenDocument Format introduced with OpenOffice.org 2.0 in 2005. Both can be converted to BBCode with similar results.